


Dollhouse

by thewinterangel



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Abusive Parents, Eren's mother is NOT Carla because I just couldn't make her the bad guy, Eren's mother is a MADE UP CHARACTER, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, disfunctional family, happy end yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2015-06-18
Packaged: 2018-04-05 01:44:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4160892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewinterangel/pseuds/thewinterangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>''Everyone thinks we're perfect, </p><p>please don't let them look through the curtains.''</p><p> </p><p>Eren's only job is to pretend he comes from a beautiful, perfect family that cares about him deeply.</p><p>But that's just it. 'Pretend' is the key word. If only people knew what happened behind the curtains...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Word of advice, listen to Melanie Martinez's song ''Dollhouse'', it gave me a huge inspiration for this fic. And it would probably help you understand the story better.
> 
> I did my best, guys. It probably has many flaws, hope you won't hate it.
> 
> Enjoy!

_''They're so amazing._ ''

 _''Did you see how well they get along?_ ''

 _''I wish I had kids like that._ ''

 _''They're so amazing._ ''

 

So they say.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

  
Eren's classmates were sitting in a circle in the biology classroom. It was a break, so he figured they must've been planning on some kind of a social event. 

Right as he was passing by the board, one of them, Connie, turned and shouted: ''Yo Eren, come over here for a second!''. Eren walked over to them, and everyone looked at him with awe, and some kind of expectancy. 

''Okay so, Eren, we're planning on a group barbaque tomorrow, we'll go outside the city. Armin and Marco will be driving, and I'm gonna bring the barbaque, Sasha will bring the meat and Jean will bring the music. How 'bout it?'', Connie spoke, while everyone just kept their gaze at Eren. The boy gulped. 

''That's- That's an amazing idea, I'd love to go. I just have to ask my parents for permission.'', he replied, fidgeting nervously. Everyone laughed.

''Come on, your parents are awesome, they'll let you go in no time! Oh, and ask Mikasa to join us, we love her too!'', Sasha said through a huge smile. Eren laughed and nodded. 

''Okay, will do!'', his voice was suddenly cheerful, all that nervous fidgeting gone. Connie tapped his shoulder; they were all so glad to hear his reply.

 

On his way home, he clenched on his books a little more than usual. Many people waved at him, greeting him with a wide smile, telling him to say hi to his mother and father, who were amazingly loved in the neighbourhood. He always nodded back and rushed forward, feeling guilty for even promising he'd transfer those messages.

He tried it once. Never again.

While walking, he noticed a man with black hair observing him carefully. He saw him many times, but with each time he saw him the observations got more thorough. He didn't give it much thought, though. He even waved at the man a few times to avoid the awkwardness, but the man just turned his head, removing his gaze from Eren. Later he found out from Armin that he's a local worker somewhere in Eren's neighbourhood, but that's all he knew.

Arriving home, he opened the front door, and noticed they got stuck; something behind them was in the way. Eren pushed himself through the small gap of the door, only to find an empty alcohol flask on the floor, blocking the door from opening completely. He closed the door, clenched his books again and silently tried to sneak upstairs to his room. One step. Two steps. Three ste-

''Eren?''

The boy's eyes shut tight, his heart skipping a beat.

''Yes, mom?'', he replied, not turning around. He already had one foot up the stairs.

''Get over here, give me a bottle of beer.'', his mom spoke. Eren gulped. He stepped back and entered the living room; it had a strong stench of alcohol. Sadly, Eren was use to it, and it didn't bother him. He opened the fridge; nothing but beer inside. He took one bottle and turned slowly, carefully stepping towards the couch. His mom was lying there. She was wearing everyday clothes; if you saw her standing, you'd say she's a pretty normal person. But she's far from normal.

''H-here you go.'', he said, handing her the bottle. She scanned him with her eyes, from head to toe, trying to find a reason to scold him for, but she found none. She grabbed the bottle and opened the cap with her bare hands. Eren didn't move, though.

''What do you want, boy?'', she basically spat out through her teeth.

''Uh.. Tomorrow my friends are going for a.. A barbaque outside the city. They asked if Mikasa and I could.. Could come with them.'', he asked, his hands hurting from how much he clenched on his books.

Mom snickered. ''You, going out of town?'', she asked through a grin. Eren avoided eye contact with her and kept staring into the floor. Despite all that, he noticed her get off of the couch and stumble over to him.

''Eren..'', she said, placing a hand on his chin, raising his head towards her. Their eyes connected for a few seconds, before she broke it.

And she broke it with a punch.

 

* * *

 

 

''Oh my God Eren, what happened to your face?'', Armin's voice was filled with worry. Eren twitched; his left cheek and the side of his neck were blue and black. His hand flew up and he immediately covered the bruises.

''It's- it's nothing, I had a mosquito on my face and I- I slammed my face too hard!'', he said through an awkward laugh. Armin raised an eyebrow and just went silent, not saying a word. He usually noticed Eren's lies, because the boy was never good at those. But even if he did, Armin didn't push the topic, which Eren appreciated greatly. The blonde was his best friend, but even he had no clue about certain parts of Eren's life.

The rest of the day Eren got weird looks across the school, everyone looking at him with pity, as if he got beaten up or something. Well, he did. It's just that no one knew the truth.

''Yo, Eren.'', he heard a voice on the hallway. He turned; it was Jean. ''Where's that lovely sister of yours?''

Eren smiled faintly. ''She's, uh, she's home. She wasn't feeling really well today, so she stayed home to rest.'', he replied, avoiding any kind of eye contact, like always. Jean frowned.

''Is she okay?'', he asked with worry in his voice. It was as if he didn't even notice the bruises on Eren, all he cared about was Mikasa.

''Yeah, yeah, she'll be fine! She might even come to school tomorrow! Don't worry, she's okay!'', Eren reassured him, the smile on his face getting weaker and weaker. Jean nodded and clenched his fists.

''I will bring over some soup today and I wi-''

''NO!''

The scream was heard all across the school. All of the heads in the hallway turned to Eren, looking at him as if he was some kind of a freak. Truth be told, he didn't look like his usual self. His breath was short, his shoulders were shaking, and his hands were red from clinging on the books too much.

Jean's eyes flew wide open. ''E-Eren buddy, you okay?'', he asked, carefully raising his hand to place it on Eren's shoulder; the boy's hair was covering his red bruised face. Right as Jean tried to place his hand on his shoulder, Eren ran a hand through his hair, moving it from his face, which was now stretched into a wide, awkward smile.

''S-sorry! I'm just a little stressed from the school, hah.. Just don't, uh, don't come over, 'kay?'', the boy said, immediately turning around and running in the opposite direction. Jean was left there standing, with his hand still up, having trouble understanding what just happened.

 

The next class was very awkward; it was a class like any other, but the atmosphere was dead. Everyone just kept staring into the distressed boy in the first row. He felt all of the stares, and just kept his head down, pretending to write something. The teacher didn't even notice that nobody's attention was on the board. All Eren wanted was for the class to finish as soon as possible. It was getting too weird.

''Eren..'', Armin suddenly touched his arm, making the boy slightly jump. The blonde looked at him with sadness in his eyes, not knowing what to do to help.

''Y-yeah?'', Eren tried to pull it together, stretching a smile.

''It's parents' meeting tomorrow, the teacher said it while you were out.'', Armin said, keeping a long eye contact with Eren, trying to somehow show him that he's here for him. Eren, though, simply nodded in gratitude and turned to his notebook, seeming even more stressed than before.

Armin gulped. ''You're not going to come with us to the barbaque, right?''

Eren's body tensed up.

He didn't reply.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

This was the worst part. Coming home. His house was cold, empty, full of hatred. No, not even hatred. There was no feelings there. Only negativity. Negativity with which Eren had to learn to live with.

He took the path next to the river; the sun was setting, and the wind was mild, just perfect for relaxation. Eren walked over the the river and threw his bag to the right, laying himself down on the grass. The feeling of freedom he felt in that split second was amazing. There were nothing and nobody around him, only the sound plopping of the water and the voice of crickets in the warm spring breeze. He took a deep breath, taking his time to exhale.

''You alright?''

He heard a deep, rough voice behind him. He straightened up and turned his head; it was that man with black hair. This time he finally got a clear look at him; he seemed particularly young, but quite older than Eren himself. The man's face was blank, which wasn't surprising; the tone of voice he used in his question suggessted he was only asking it out of common curteousy. The pure fact that he was holding his hands in his pockets indicated that he had no interest in continuing the conversation.

''Oh, I'm- I'm fine, thank you.'', Eren replied, his voice accidentally breaking in the middle of the line. The man frowned and, from where Eren was, it looked like he sprained his eyes, observing Eren carefully.

''That bruise looks new.'', the man said, his hands still in his pockets. Eren twitched again, immediately covering it, just like he did with Armin. It must've gotten wider, if the man noticed it from that distance.

''Ah, it was a mosquito, I slammed myself a little too hard...'', he replied, laughing nervously. The man raised his eyebrow.

''Must've been a hell of a stubborn mosquito if you slammed your whole neck as well.'', his voice was flat, but had a certain dose of sarcasm in it. Eren gulped, feeling his legs shake; if he had been standing, he would've probably fallen down by now.

''Well, the river side is not a good place to avoid insects, just so you know.'', the man spoke again, gazing off into the distance.

''Ah, yeah, not the brightest idea, I know. I just needed a little break from everything.'', Eren didn't even notice that his voice turned sad all of a sudden. The man returned his eyes on him, suddenly gaining some emotion in his look.

''Huh.'', the man said, simply starting to walk away. Eren's eyes flew wide open, something in his chest making him stand up.

''Wait!'', he shouted after the man he talked to for the first time in his life. The black haired man turned, pokerface back on.

''I, uh, I was just wondering... I noticed you around the neighbourhood a lot of times, and I couldn't help but notice that you- you were, uh...'', Eren took a break, obviously too uncomfortable to spit it out. ''You were s-staring at me.''

The man raised his eyebrow again. Eren immediately threw his hands up with an apologetic look.

''I'm- I'm sorry, I know you probably weren't even looking at m-me, haha how silly of me to think tha-''

''I was.''

Eren blinked twice. ''Eh?''

''I was staring at you, yeah.'', the man replied without a problem. It took the boy a while to speak again.

''Um... M-mind if I ask why?'', his voice was shaky. He had no idea how he got himself into this situation; he rarely spoke to Armin, who was his best friend, let alone a complete stranger who had been observing him for days.

''I find you interesting. When people find something interesting, they look at it, yes?''

''Y-yes... But.. Interesting how?''

The man raised his eyebrow. Again.

''Do I really need to explain it?'', the man replied, pulling out one hand out of his pocket. Eren was blank for a moment, before jumping in shock, realising what the man meant.

''W-w-what??? B-but how, we just met!!'', he shouted in shock, feeling the heat raise up to his cheeks.

''Actually, we didn't, not formally atleast.'', the man said, approaching the boy and stretching his hand out for a handshake. ''Levi.''

Eren's heart was beating faster than usual, and he didn't even understand why. Probably because he was embarrassed and had no clue what to say. He looked down at the man's hand, slowly grabbing it. It couldn't really be called a grab, 'cause he behaved like the man's hand was gonna break any second.

''E-Eren.'', he said, his body tense.

''Why are you so jumpy?'', the man asked. Eren frowned, pouting.

''Excuse me, but you just said you liked me!! How will I not be jumpy??'', he yelled, his face red as a chilli pepper.

''I said I found you interesting.'', Levi countered him, making him blush even more, if that was even possible. Eren pouted again, but was left speechless this time.

''Well, Eren, I'll see you around?'', the man stepped back and slightly smirked. Eren suddenly relaxed, feeling some kind of peace inside himself.

''Y-yeah, sure.'', he said with a wide smile, his hands behind his back. Levi gave him a slight nod, then turned and simply walked away. Eren stood there for a while, before lying back down.

Never did he feel such things; peace, comfort, positivity,... These were all unfamiliar things in this teen's little heart, and for the first time in his life he felt like he's going to be okay. He kept lying there, rewinding the scene from a while ago when he met this mysterious man; he tried to see him vividly. His hair, his eyes, his mouth,... Something about him was special, and he only met the guy. Well, they _did_ keep seeing each other on the street, but they never really spoke to each other.

Huh. Weird.

 

* * *

 

 

After an hour of simply relaxing on the river side, Eren decided it was time to head home. Not something he was looking forward to, but he had no other choice, it was getting dark and chilly. However, unlike all the other times he was walking home, this time he had a smile on his face. Who knew that meeting this man would leave such an effect on him.

He reached the front door and opened them; this time they opened without anything blocking their way. He entered the house and looked around, scanning. His mother was on the couch sound asleep, with a beer bottle hanging from her hand. There were a bunch of empty bottles on the floor, but they wouldn't be noticable if there wasn't for the TV that was on for no purpose. 

Eren started walking upstairs, trying to be as silent as possible. But as he reached the top, he realised there was no point in being silent; there were various thumping and moaning noises coming from his parents' bedroom. Eren sighed, feeling some kind of anxiety catch up with him; it was a well known fact that his father had a mistress. His mother's alcohol problem mainly appeared because of that. What made things even worse is that their father didn't even hesitate in the decision of bringing the mistress here, into their family house. 

He walked over to Mikasa's room, and knocked three times. He heard a weak noise from the other side, and entered the room; the room was absolutely filled with smoke, Eren couldn't see a thing. The boy knew exactly what the smoke was from, since it had a particular spinach smell.

''Mikasa?'', he asked silently, waving his hand to disperse the smoke. There was no reply. He closed the door and opened the window, finally letting some light and fresh air come into the long-closed room. With the window open, he was able to see his sister; she was basically unconscious on her bed, half naked, ashtrays and lighters surrounding her.

''Shit, again... Mikasa? Mikasa, wake up, hey!'', Eren grabbed his sister's shoulders and started shaking her with all his might. She was completely out. Eren didn't panic, though; sadly to say, this was a normal occurance. The reason Eren covered for Mikasa in school was exactly because he knew in what state she was. Her brains were burnt from all the skunk she's been smoking. If he allowed Jean to come over, he'd not only embarrass Mikasa for the rest of her life, he'd also embarrass his whole family.

While waiting for her room to air out, Eren kept Mikasa's head on his lap, shaking her every now and then to check if she's finally awake or not. Finally, she opened her eyes.

''Eren...'', she let out. He didn't say a word; he raised her head, got up from the bed, placed her head on a pillow and left her room without words.

As he closed the door of her room, he sighed deeply; as much as he acted heartless in front of her to teach her a lesson, it hurt to see her destroy herself like that. The only one who checked up on her was Eren, and there were times when he thought she was done for. She was capable of being normal when she wasn't high, but being normal was a rarity for her. Their mother is too busy drinking her problems out to even notice that her daughter is destroying her sanity, and their father is too busy banging the young sexy flight attendant to notice that his son is going through all of this alone.

He started walking over to his room, when the doorbell rang.

Eren twitched.

He heard the sound of clanking glass downstairs; his mom woke up, and is about to open the door. His heart fell down to his heels. He ran downstairs, as fast as he could, just to beat his mom to the door. Luckily, he succeeded, and leaned his back on the door, a wide smile on his face and his hand up, stopping his mom from coming any closer to the door.

''It's okay, mom, I got this!'', he said as cheerfully as he could, hoping that his mom would be wasted enough to get back to the couch and sleep. Thankfully, she did exactly what Eren wanted her to do; she grunted something, but then waggled back to the couch, throwing herself down again. Eren sighed and opened the door.

''Hey there.'', a familiar person greeted him. It was Jean. Eren frowned, taking a few steps forward to close the door behind him, to prevent any chances of the inside part of the house being seen.

''I told you not to come here.'', somehow, Eren was more comfortable with showing how annoyed he was. He couldn't do that before. Weird.

''What? No, you didn't say _'Jean, don't come over.'_ , you screamed and then ran off like I was going to kill you.'', Jean replied, a frown also visible on his face.

''What do you need anyway?'', Eren jumped right to it.

''I want to see Mikasa.''

''No can do.''

''Why?''

''I told you why.''

''Eren, I wanna know why.''

''I said no-''

Jean took an aggressive step forward, forcing Eren to step back and crash into the door with his back.

''What are you hiding?'', Jean's voice was deep and rough, typical for when these two bickered. Eren frowned again.

''I'm not hiding anything.'', he replied, his voice also deep. This guy could really get on his nerves sometimes.

''You've been acting all weird lately, you know. You're hiding something, and I want to know what. 'Cause whatever it is, it's involving Mikasa.'', Jean spoke, sticking a finger into Eren's chest as a provocation.

''You speak as if you're her boyfriend, when in fact...'', Eren took a pause and simply smirked. ''You're really not.''

Jean grabbed his collar, smashing him back into the door, but then felt a hand on his shoulder.

''Is there a problem here?'', Eren only saw the hand on Jean's shoulder, but the voice seemed familiar. Jean twitched at the touch and turned his head to see the unfamiliar person. Eren, though, recognized the person as soon as he saw the face; it was Levi.

Jean turned his head back to Eren and frowned deeply before letting go of his collar and stepping back. ''No. No problem.'', he said, slowly backing away from Eren's porch. Eren followed him with his eyes until he got out of his sight.

''Is he the reason for this?'', Levi suddenly asked, pointing at Eren's bruises. Eren shook his head.

''No, I told you, it's because of the mo-''

''Mosquitoes, right...'', Levi said, nodding his head, but it didn't look like he really believed the story.

''How come you're here, though?'', Eren asked, changing the subject from the bruises.

''I came to see someone, they live a few houses down the street, and I was passing by when I heard you and that guy... What was all that about, anyway?'', Levi asked, putting his hands into his pockets. Eren gulped.

''He wanted to see my sister, but she's... Sick, and he got a bit too insistant when I didn't let him in.'', he replied, avoiding eye contact.

''Huh. 'Kay, I'll believe that lie for your sake.'', the man said, earning himself a shocked look from Eren.

''W-what?'', his heart skipped a beat.

''Nothing. Have a good night.'', Levi said, nodding again and walking away. Eren just stood there, watching the man leave. This is the second time he didn't believe Eren. Is he _that_ sucky at lying? Or is this guy really good at reading people?

Eren got back inside, still in awe from what the man said, only to see his mother standing in the middle of the living room like an angry monster.

''Who was that?'', she growled out. Eren gulped again.

''It was Jean, he came to remind me about the parents' meeting tomorrow.'', he replied, avoiding eye contact with her.

''When?'', she asked.

''6 pm.''

''Get the fuck out of my face.''

Eren nodded and ran upstairs as fast as he could, closing himself in his room.

It didn't take him long to lay down on his bed and just break down in tears.

Everything was just too overwhelming. 


	2. Chapter 2

It's 5:53. The meeting is just about to begin, and Eren's parents still didn't arrive. Armin hung out with his mother in front of the designated classroom, just like many other students did with their parents. Eren stood there, alone, looking around, hoping his parents don't show up; he never knew what to expect from them. One day they're fine, the other they're horrible. Of course, that only counts for the outside world. At home it's a whole different story.

''Eren.''

The boy turned around; it was his mother. She was clean, in a quality red elegant dress with a pretty hat on, her jewelry shiny as ever, her heels high, and her purse from a very expensive brand. The most surprising thing of all was that his dad was with her, by her side. They both had plastic smiles on their faces, his mom placing a hand on Eren's shoulder.

''Honey, where is the meeting being held?'', she spoke, making Eren blink a few times in surprise.

''It's, uh.. It's in classroom number 19.'', he answered. She smiled at him and stroked his head. This wasn't the first time he witnessed to such a transformation, but every time it amazes him just like it was a first.

''Okay, well love, we're gonna go now. We love you, take care.'', she added, walking towards other parents. His dad passed next to him, simply giving him a wide smile and a tap on the shoulder. He just watched them, his eyes hopeless. All he could think of was how absurd it was that they cared more about the opinion of others than their own children.

''Maaaan, your parents are so awesome!'', Connie suddenly jumped out of somewhere, admiring his 'parents'. Eren huffed.

''Yeah, they're really something...'', he said silently, still looking at them as they were socializing with other parents, especially with Armin's mother. Armin was there, too. Eren kept a close eye on them while they talked to his best friend; God help them if they did something to hurt that boy. However, their facade was so strong that not even the tiniest piece of rotten managed to come out.

 

All day long Eren kept hearing comments ' _Eren, your parents rock!_ ' and ' _Your mom is so beautiful!_ '. The only thing Eren could do was smile at the kind comments, careful not to give out any reason for people to doubt those comments.

 

The whole pretending thing exhausted Eren; it drained him mentally. Just smiling and grinning all day to the things you know are not true gets all of your energy out. Worst part was that he had to go home from school now, and his parents were already home from the meeting.

They knew when Eren's classes finished, they had his schedule on the refrigirator. Not that they ever read it, but it was there. Whenever he got home late, he got punished for it. But now, after realising that he'd get punished for no reason at all, he decided to go to the riverside again, and relax a little there. He's got nothing to lose, because the outcome is the same.

The sun was setting, and the river was very peaceful. Just like yesterday, a perfect day for relaxation. He was lying on the grass, leaned back on his elbows, simple observing the setting sun on the horizon. He didn't think about anything; his focus was solely on the sun.

''Relaxing a bit, are we?''

Eren turned his head; Levi again.

''Okay I'm seriously starting to think you're stalking me.'', Eren said with a smile. Levi smirked.

''Nah, you're just on the same schedule as me. I usually take a walk down the river at this hour, and since you keep coming here, I stumble across you.'', Levi replied and sat next to Eren.

''Mhm.. I'll believe that lie for your sake.'', Eren replied, casting Levi a childish grin. The man kept his previous smirk on his face, and didn't change his expression. He just kept staring into Eren's eyes. Such staring made the boy worry something might be off.

''What is it? Is- is there something on my face?'', Eren asked, rubbing his face. ''Well, besides this ugly thing...'', he said, pointing to his bruise.

''No, everything's perfectly fine.'', Levi said, still staring. Eren's body tensed up a little under Levi's look, not knowing what to do or even how to breathe.

''Ookaay, can you please tell me why you're staring so much?'', the boy finally asked, returning the gaze back at Levi.

The man smiled. ''You're beautiful.''

Eren twitched. ''W-wha-what?'', his face immediately turned red, but somewhat scared.

Levi didn't say anything, just kept a smile on his face. Eren looked away and hugged his knees.

''Please stop looking at me...'', he let out, his heart pounding like mad.

''Why?'', he heard Levi ask.

''I'm... I'm not beautiful, please don't say that again...'', Eren said, his face completely hidden from Levi. The man frowned and slowly got up. Eren could hear him move but he didn't know where to expect him.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on the top of his head.

''I don't know your story, and I don't know you. But I do know that I want to get to know you.'', Levi's voice was deep, but soft. He knelt down, his hand still on his head, and caught Eren's look. ''Like I said, you're interesting. And if I say you're beautiful, it means you're beautiful to me, you've got no right to tell me otherwise, it's my opinion and you're not changing it.'', he said with a tender voice, all with a slight smile on his face. Eren didn't know how this guy came across him, and how they even started talking, but he liked it. It was the only conversation in which he didn't feel forced or uncofortable. Well, minus the blushing part.

They stayed there, talking for a whole hour. Eren didn't talk about his family much, but he did talk about himself. He let Levi know that he was very insecure about himself and how he didn't like himself very much. Levi listened carefully to the whole thing, and he said nothing until the very end.

''You're an idiot.'', he said, with a blank expression.

''Eeh?'', Eren pouted.

''The reasons for which you dislike yourself are absolutely stupid and have no reasonable root. Therefore, you're an idiot.'', Levi said, lying down completely.

''Well excuse me for trying to share my story with you, you're the one who wanted to get to know me!'', Eren yelled.

Levi smirked. ''Alright, alright, relax.''

''And you? What's your story?'', the boy asked.

''Hmm. Well, I came from a rich family from which I ran away and started living by myself, I work as a secretary in a local company, and recently I've been trying to, well, get somewhere with someone, if you know what I mean.'', Levi made it very short, putting his hands beneath his head.

Eren's face went dark. ''Oh... Who's the lucky girl, or guy?'', he asked, not really knowing why. He _did_ like Levi, but it was probably only because he was one of the rare people that treated him nicely.

''Oh, just one random dude.'', Levi answered, the smirk on his face growing larger. Eren kept silent for a moment, but then simply got up and shook the small pieces of grass off of his clothes.

''Well, thank you for hanging out with me, it was lovely, but I have to go now.'', he said, his mood suddenly gloomier. Levi also got up, speechless. ''You think you'll be walking here tomorrow too or-''

A peck on the cheek.

Levi stepped back, smirk still visible, and simply walked away like he always does. Eren took a while to move from the spot on which he was;

 

Levi just kissed him on the cheek.

 

* * *

 

Eren entered his house, completely baffled by what happened on the riverside. What was that supposed to mean? Was it a joke? Was it serious? How did it even happen?

His mind was all over the place, and he didn't even notice his mother standing in the living room, her hands crossed on her chest.

''Where were you?'', her voice was rough and cracky, probably because she was drunk, again. Eren twitched out of fear and tried to smile.

''The c-classes were a bit longer today, so they kept us t-there...'', he replied, trying to look as innoccent as he could, although that never really helped.

''Two hours longer, is it?'', she said, although it was more of a yell. Eren suddenly frowned.

''Two hours? No, it was just for half an-'', he said, looking at his watch. He really was out for two hours. He didn't even notice the time fly by.

 

Well shit.

 

''How dare you lie to me, you little prick??'', she screamed, approaching him with a speed that usually seems impossible for a drunk person. She grabbed his hair, pulling it backwards as hard as she could, making Eren bend in pain.

''You wanna turn into your bastard father by lying to me, huh? Well you can both go to hell!'', his mother screamed, throwing Eren down on the floor, hitting his stomach with her leg.

''M-Mom, stop!!'', he screamed back, trying to cover himself with his arms, but her kicks only made him choke on his voice. He tried to curl up to prevent the kicks, or at least make them hurt less, but she started kicking him from every side possible.

''You will learn to respect me, you filth!'', her voice sounded demonic. Eren cried and yelled, but no one seemed to hear him.

All he could do in that moment is wait for her to stop.

 

* * *

 

 

The next day Eren didn't go to school. His stomach, legs and arms were completely black and swollen. His lips were cracked on the sides, and his cheeks had a few bloody spots. He couldn't move much, everything hurt. The fact that he got beaten up wasn't really a surprise, but his mom is getting worse and worse; this was the worst beat-up he'd ever gotten. At one point he got scared for his life, not knowing if his mom is going to stop on time or just continue until he's dead.

It was 6 pm already. Eren didn't hear anyone in the house all day. He slowly got up from the bed on which he'd been lying the whole day, moaning with every move he made, and headed outside of his room. Going downstairs was a mission impossible with the kind of pain he felt, but somehow he managed to get down anyway. The kitchen seemed way more distant than usual, probably because his every step hurt like a thousand axes slicing through him. Drinking water was also a hard task; each gulp felt like he was swallowing a knife bag.

He slowly walked over to the couch and sat down, groaning again. It was the couch on which his mother got drunk every night; it reeked of alcohol, but Eren was too exhausted to get up again and switch places.

The television was off, the radio too. Street sounds didn't find their way inside, since all the windows and doors were closed shut. Eren was sitting in completel silence, all alone.

Finally, he just bent over and let a waterfall of tears escape him.

 

Considering the fact that he skipped one day of school with no one to excuse him for all of the classes, Eren was forced to go to school now. He got dressed, zipping his shirt up to the top, although the bruises were still visible. It was almost summer, but still, he put a long-sleeved shirt to cover his wrecked arms. After all, his face had bruises and wounds all over, it was swollen and red, everyone will notice one way or another. He can just say he got beat up on his way home by some bullies.

He tried to leave the house just so that he doesn't stumble upon his family members, locking the door behind him. The walk to the school was a killer task. It felt as if his muscles and skin were screaming at him to just collapse.

''Ereeen!'', he heard a voice behind him. He'd know that voice anywhere; it was Sasha. He took a deep breath before turning to her and smiling as much as he could through all the bruises.

''Hey, Sasha.'', he greeted her, noticing she froze as soon as she saw his face. She stood there in the street, her mouth slightly open.

''You okay?'', Eren asked, knowing why she was shocked, but he tried to brush it off like it was nothing.

''Eren... W-what happened?'', she immediately ran over to him, grabbing both of his shoulders, observing his face corner to corner. Eren slightly laughed, feeling his stomach hurt at the attempt of laughter.

''I- I got mugged yesterday, that's why I didn't come to school. They, uh, they did a brilliant job, eh?'', he joked, pointing at his face. Sashe didn't laugh.

''Why are you joking about this?? Have you been to the police? You must report these guys immediately, did you recognize them??'', she started panicking, still observing the wounds on Eren's face.

''Oh it's fine, these guys are not from here I think.. T-they won't be back.'', he tried to lie, but boy did he suck at it. Sasha frowned.

'' _They won't be back_? What are you, braveheart? How the hell do you know they won't be back?'', she protested, frowning at his stupidity. Eren's smile already faded away.

''Sasha can you please just leave it alone, we're gonna be late for school.'', he said, already annoyed by her persistancy. She was silent for a moment, but then nodded.

''Fine, if you say so... You know, I'm gonna walk you home from now on, every day.'', she said, grabbing the straps of her bag. ''How dare they beat you up...'', she sounded like she muttered to herself.

''It's okay, you don't have to, really. I'll be fine.'', Eren replied, smiling again, feeling his cheeks hurt. Sasha didn't reply.

''Just... Please help me _not_ make a fuss about it in school, okay?'', Eren asked her, his eyes desperate. The girl looked at him, and after a while nodded again, not saying a word.

They arrived to the school courtyard, and all of the heads immediately turned to Eren, everyone scanning him from head to toe. Sasha started chatting randomly with Eren about food, to make the walk as less awkward as she could. He was very thankful for that. Finally when they arrived to their group of people in the yard, Eren greeted them all the same way he always did, but no one said hi back. Everyone was there, Armin, Jean, Marco and Connie, and none of them had the ability to process Eren's looks. They were all too busy being shocked.

''Guys, it's nothing, some bullies mugged me yesterday, it's over.'', Eren said. Sasha nodded next to him, supporting his calm temper. Armin stepped up to Eren and grabbed his face, looking at his eyes.

''Eren... When did this happen?'', Armin asked and stepped back, frowning at how his eyes looked; Eren's eyes were bloody, all of the little capillaries visible and broken.

''Yesterday morning.'', Eren told a lie, again.

''Is that why you didn't come to school?'', the blonde asked.

Eren nodded.

''H-how? I mean, I understand _how_ , but you look..'', Jean started, but took a pause. ''...You look like you took some serious beating.'', he said, recalling the fact that he almost punched him three days ago.

Eren looked at him and nodded. ''I did, yeah.'', his eyes were focused on Jean's, understanding that he felt bad for wanting to punch him. Jean gulped and turned his look away.

Armin took a step closer to Eren, talking quietly so that people passing by don't hear him. ''Did you go to the poli-''

''I didn't. Now can we drop the subject? I'm fine. See? I'm standing on my two feet, I'm alive, I'll recover. Okay?'', Eren voice got serious, and a bit louder than before. He attracted a few looks from other students, and caused Armin to step back and lower his head. Sasha gulped.

''We... We should get going, guys.'', she said. The atmosphere was dead; no one said anything, they all just started walking towards the school, speechless.


	3. Chapter 3

During the day the professors kept asking Eren what happened, and if he was okay, and he just brushed it off like he did with the rest of the students. However, his friends didn't talk to him much for the rest of the day. Either they were mad at him, or they noticed that Eren wanted to be left alone, at least for now. The final class bell couldn't have come sooner. Eren grabbed his stuff and tried to walk away as quickly as possible, despite his pain. Sasha offered to walk him home, but he turned her down again.

The weather was a bit more cloudy than the last few days. He decided to take the river route again; he loved the riverside too much to cast it away for hiding from people. All he was praying for was that he doesn't stumble upon Levi again. He would fall into the depths of the earth from embarrassment. He looked like he played the role of a punching bag to someone. Well, he _did_ , but that was a fact that just had to stay hidden.

He arrived to his usual spot, and just lay himself down on the grass. I felt beautiful; fresh air, chilly breeze, the sound of the river... Everything was just the way he wanted it to be for the rest of his life. Sadly that wasn't possible. Who knows, maybe his mother freaks out again tonight and gives him another go. He didn't understand how his sister avoided getting beat up; she was a drug addict, but wouldn't that just be a reason more to beat her up? He didn't want her getting punched at all, but it was unfair that Eren took all the beating. Maybe his mother just hated _him_. She did say that she wished he had never been born, and she will probably end up killing him one day with her kicks and punches. Mikasa, however, she knew how to dodge their mom for a very long time. Eren couldn't remember the last time their mom called Mikasa to come downstairs. She must have developed some kind of a strategy that-

''Oi.''

Eren gulped, recognizing the voice. It was Levi. He stayed down, not turning to look at the person behind him. ''Hey.'', he let out.

He heard Levi's steps behind him. ''You weren't here yester-''

The man was standing above Eren, looking down at him. Eren sighed, closing his eyes, knowing why Levi stopped talking.

''Don't freak out, please. It's nothing, I'm fine, it will pass...'', Eren said, sitting up straight. Levi didn't say anything, he just sat down next to him.

Eren looked at him shyly, expecting him to say something. Levi just sat there, staring at Eren's face.

''How bad is it?'', suddenly the man spoke. Eren gulped.

''I-it's fine, it's nothing...'', the boy replied, but Levi sighed.

''Show me your hands.'', he said with a calm voice. Eren didn't move. Levi leaned forward, cupping his face with one hand.

''Eren. It's just me, okay?'', his voice was silent, smooth and so comforting. Eren relaxed his head into Levi's hand, closing his eyes. He felt the so called 'butterflies' in his stomach, suddenly feeling a little better. He opened his eyes and pulled his sleeves up; he revealed the red, blue and black spot on his arms. Levi gently placed his hands beneath Eren's, stroking them with his thumbs. Eren observed Levi's face; his expression was hard to read, but it was beautiful to watch. His sharp jaw line, his tired-looking silver eyes, a few strands of his raven black hair descending across his forehead... Eren didn't even notice it, but there was a slight smile on his face after all those thoughts.

''Who was it?'', Levi asked, his eyes still on Eren's hands.

''S-some guys, they mugged me on the stree-''

''Eren.'', Levi looked him right in the eyes. His voice sounded... Desperate?

The boy gulped. ''I... I told you, some bullies.'', he didn't sound convincing.

''You know, when I was fifteen, I was still living with my parents. You know the reason why I left?'', Levi asked. Eren shook his head. ''My father. He was abusive. He beat up my mom all the time. So one day I stood up to him, and instead of beating up my mom for the next year, he spent his time beating me.''

Eren looked at him, his eyes locked on Levi's.

''The reason why I'm telling you this is...'', Levi raised Eren's hands a bit higher. ''My bruises looked identical to these.'', he said, placing one of his hands on Eren's cheek, stroking his cheek now. ''This too.'', his hand fell down to his neck. ''This too...'', his fingers were tracing Eren's bruises. ''I bet that, if I told you to unbutton the first three buttons of your shirt, I'd find your whole chest covered in these.''

Eren's heart was beating fast; he didn't know if he should feel embarrassed, relieved or sad. His mouth was slightly open, and his eyes filled up with tears.

''Levi, I...''

The man pulled him in, connecting their chests, gripping the back of Eren's shirt tightly. The warmth and comfort of Levi's body was enough to push Eren over the edge; the boy returned the grip, stuffing his face into Levi's shoulder, letting out the tears he'd been holding back the whole day. His sobs were loud and long. Levi stroked his head, simply holding him and not saying anything. Eren's body ached, but it felt good letting it all out. Especially with a person like Levi. Something about that man was so soothing, so comforting...

They stayed like that for half an hour. Finally, Eren separated them, wiping his face. ''I don't know what to do...'', he said, his voice weak.

''You can stay with me.'', Levi replied, leaning back on his hands. Eren twitched and shook his head.

''No no no, no way, they'd kill me if I did that!'', he protested.

''Eren. They'll kill you either way.'', Levi's face was serious, and he had a point. Regardless of what he does, he's gonna get beat up again.

The boy gulped. ''But... All my stuff is at home.''

''We can either buy you new stuff or we can simply go to your place and take them.'', Levi said. He made it sound so simple.

Eren stayed silent for a moment. ''I wanna go home and take them. I want to say goodbye to Mikasa, if she's sober enough to even realise I'm leaving.'', he said with determination, but there was still some fear left. Levi nodded.

''Okay. Come on, let's go.'', Levi said and helped Eren up.

''You.. You don't have to do this, you know. I can go by myself.'', he said, knowing that if he went alone he'd probably get punched again, but he didn't want to bother Levi.

''No way I'm letting you go in there alone.'', Levi replied, grabbing Eren's bag and throwing it over his shoulder, carrying it for him. Eren blushed a little, not believing what a perfect guy he has next to his side.

 

 

The walk towards Eren's home was very pleasant, the boy couldn't believe how relaxed a person can actually feel. The whole way the boys talked, distracting Eren's thoughts from his family. Only when they arrived in front of his house did he feel nervous.

''Oh God... Okay, this is it.'', Eren took a deep breath, but felt a hand on his shoulder.

''You're alright. I'm with you.'', Levi said, giving him an encouraging smile. Eren smiled back, nodding and walking up to the door. He opened the door and looked back at Levi, who just nodded. Eren continued into the house, scanning the place for his parents; well, mostly his mother. Levi followed him, being only a step behind him. Eren started climbing upstairs, but just like it happens every time, he heard a voice from the kitchen.

''Eren!'', his mother called. The boy turned and looked at Levi with enormous panic in his eyes, his breathing speeding up. Levi simply put a hand on Eren's cheek, shushing him and reassuring him that there was no reason to be scared. Eren gulped and stepped down, slowly approaching the kitchen.

''Y-yes, mom?'', he replied, gulping once again. Levi stayed in the hallway, hiding from the mother's sight.

''You're late again.'', she said, her voice rough. The place reeked of alcohol again, so Eren assumed she was drunk.

''Yeah... Mom, I'm... I'm leaving.'', he shot out, knowing that if he put it off for later, it would only be worse for him. He didn't know what Levi was doing in the hallway, but he was definitely getting scared now.

His mom took a moment to reply. ''You're what?''

Eren gulped. ''Leaving.''

She started approaching him and stopped only a meter away from him. ''And where are you gonna go?'', she asked with a mocking voice.

''Doesn't matter.'', Eren replied, taking a deep breath, preparing himself to be punched any moment now. His mother just laughed out loud.

''You're as stupid as a rock. You really think I'm gonna let you walk away just like that?'', she said. Eren didn't reply.

''Hey, bastard, I'm talking to you.''

Eren clenched his eyes, just waiting for the punch.

''How dare you ignore me-''

He heard a slam, but he felt nothing. He opened his eyes slowly; his mother's hand was in the air, blocked by Levi's arm.

''Theeere it is.'', Levi said with an evilish smirk on his face. Eren stepped back and watched him in shock; he blocked his mother's hand with one arm, and with the other one he held a cellphone, its camera pointed at the abusive woman.

Eren's mom stumbled backwards, looking at the strange man in front of her. ''Who... Who the hell are you??'', she yelled, switching her look from Eren to Levi.

''Just another bastard who recorded you for police. But you know...'', he looked at her and smirked. ''At least now you won't be ignored, right?'', he nodded and smiled before turning back to Eren. ''Go grab your stuff, I'll wait here.''

Eren nodded and quickly ran upstairs. The sound isolation in the house was horrible, so he could still hear everything that happened in the kitchen.

''Who are you?'', his mom asked again.

''Not telling.'', Levi said with his hands crossed.

''What the fuck are you doing in my house?'', she asked, this time growling.

''Not saying that either.'', his face was blank, eyes focused on the floor.

She took a step forward and got stopped by Levi's deadly look. ''One more step, I'm gonna beat you four times harder than you beat him.'', Levi's voice was harsh and dead serious. Right as she tried to say something back, Eren jumped off of the stairs and tapped Levi on the shoulder.

''Done.'', he said, observing his mother carefully. Levi nodded, eyes also focused on the mother.

''Well, it was not a pleasure meeting you. I hope you have a horrible life.'', Levi said, walking backwards, not moving his eyes away from Eren's mom. Who knows what she might do if he turns his back on her. Eren got out of the house, and Levi followed.

They walked away from the house as fast as they could to avoid any kind of further trouble. Once they were far enough, Eren threw his bags on the floor and threw his arms around Levi's neck.

''Thank you so much.'', the boy said, his stomach spinning in circles again, the feeling of Levi's body close to him making him tremble. Levi smiled, hugging the boy back, but not for long. He separated them, looking straight into Eren's eyes. 

''Eren, you're gonna be living with me now. Are you... Are you okay with that?'', Levi asked, his face serious. Eren frowned.

''Y-yes, why?'', he replied.

''I don't want to force you onto this. If you want, I can help you find a place on your own, and you'll be alone in there-''

''Please don't do that.'', Eren shot out, his eyes looking traumatized. Levi was confused.

''What?''

''I don't... I don't want to be alone again.'', the boy said, looking down and at the floor. The man simply smiled, and nodded.

''Alright. Well then, you'll be with me until you get back on your feet.'', he said. The reaction that simple sentance woke in Eren was suprising; Eren twitched at those words, instantly feeling sad and unsatisfied.

 _Until you get back on your feet_...

 

* * *

 

 

''Well, this is it. Not much, but it serves its purpose.'', Levi said, opening the front door of his little flat in the center of the city. Eren entered it, looking around in awe.

''It's adorable, I love it!'', he said, amazed. Levi laughed.

''Wow, first time I heard anyone call a flat adorable...'', Levi commented, raising his look up to Eren. ''...Adorable.'', he added, smiling softly. Eren grinned, slightly blushing and turning the other way out of embarrassment.

''Soooo where can I sleep?'', Eren asked, spinning on his heel, his hands behind his back. His energy level rose up to the heavens, despite all the pain he felt in his body.

''Wherever you want, this is your place too now.'', Levi replied, putting Eren's bags down. ''You've got the couch, then another couch, a huge bed in my bedroom and the floor. Pick any.''

Eren took a moment to reply. ''Well, where do you sleep?''

''The bed.'', Levi replied without looking at Eren, entering the closet.

''Okaay, then I'll take this couch.'', the boy said, slowly sitting down on the blue leather sofa. Levi grinned and brought him a blanket. He handed it to the boy, but then placed a hand on his head. Eren looked up at him with the most innocent look ever.

''You gonna be okay?'', Levi asked, scruffing Eren's hair. Eren smiled and nodded.

''Yup. Thank you.'', the boy said. Levi stepped back and waved.

''Okay then, goodnight, kid. Rest well.'', he said, walking into the bedroom and closing the door behind him.

Eren laid down, careful with every move he made because everything still hurt. He put his hands under his head as a pillow and started thinking. It was a miracle that this man appeared and brought such a change in his life; not only did he save him from his family, he saved him from loneliness. Finally, Eren had someone to feel comfortable around. He had friends, but none of them had such an effect on him. Eren closed his eyes, smiling from ear to ear, rewinding the picture of Levi confronting his mother over and over again.

 

 

Two in the morning. Levi wasn't asleep. He was a person who needed little sleep, so he just spent his time resting in the bed, decompressing from anything that might've happened during the day.

His thoughts revolved around the boy that just moved in with him. That boy awoke something in Levi that he hadn't felt in years, maybe never. After finding out what kind of a life he's had, he couldn't just do nothing. But now the biggest question in his head was if the kid really wanted this; out of experience, Levi knew that this period in a kid's life if very hard, especially if the kid is traumatized by his family.

Levi curled up, trying to come up with a solution in his head, not wanting to force the boy on anything he didn't want. But as he closed his eyes, he heard the door of his room open. He slowly sat up straight, only to find Eren's face right in front of his.

''E-Eren?'', Levi was confused. The boy simply smiled and leaned in; their lips clashed together. Levi's eyes flew wide open, while Eren's were completely closed.

Levi gently pushed Eren away. ''What are you doing?'', he asked, not sounding surprised at all, unlike his reaction before.

''I like you. A lot.'', Eren shot out, smile still on his face. He was leaned on the bed, looking twice as adorable than usual. Levi smiled and looked down; he looked as if he knew this already.

''I like you too, but you're not yourself right now, you don't know what you're doing.'', Levi said, crossing his legs under the sheets. Eren didn't react to his words, though. He just leaned in again, this time using his tongue. As wrong as he knew this was, Levi couldn't help but enjoy the kiss. At one point he even placed his hand on Eren's jawline, but then quickly moved away again.

''No, stop.'', he said, wiping his mouth.

''Why?'', Eren asked, looking like a lost puppy.

''Eren, go rest, you can't make good decisions now. You're gonna regret them in the morning.'', the man replied, starting to uncover himself, but Eren stopped him.

''How do you know I will?'', he asked with desparation in his voice, immediately leaning in again, this time pushing Levi back down on the bed, climbing it himself. Levi protested under the kiss, and right as he was about to push the boy off of him, Eren snuck his hand under Levi's shirt, making the man twitch. He grabbed Eren's hand and looked him straight in the eyes.

''Kid, stop, you don't know what you're doi-'', Levi started, but was cut off by another one of Eren's strangely passionate kisses. The boy seemed like he had much experience in this, because the way he kissed was amazing. Levi was human, after all, and it was just normal that he'd get aroused by such a kiss. But somehow, he still managed to find enough strength and, well, will power to separate himself from Eren; he cupped his face with his both hands.

''You're really persistant...'', he said, holding Eren's face in one place. ''Eren, listen to me, and think this through carefully.'', he started, seeing Eren gulp. ''Do you really want to do this?''

Eren smiled and nodded. ''Yes.''

Next thing Eren knew, he was beneath Levi; the man grabbed Eren's shoulders and spun them both around, placing Eren beneath himself, caging him from above with his whole body. Without any words, Levi closed the distance between them, intertwining their tongues in ways Eren didn't even know existed. For a moment Eren felt dizzy; Levi slid his hand behind the boy's neck, riding him and sliding his hand down Eren's chest.

It didn't take long for Eren to start pulling on Levi's shirt, signaling he wanted it off. Levi didn't miss the signals; he grabbed the shirt and separated them for a split second, just enough for him to tear it off of himself. Eren's hands slowly started descending from Levi's neck downwards. He couldn't believe someone's chest could be this tight and firm. All he felt under his hands were muscles. His skin was soft and warm, and it had goosebumps all over it.

Levi also started pulling on Eren's shirt, but he was actually helping him take it off, keeping in mind that Eren is full of bruises and he needed to be careful. Eren raised his hands up to make it easier. Levi tore the shirt off of Eren and threw a look on his chest; he froze. His whole chest was blue and black, not to mention bloody in some spots. He ran his hands gently over the bruises, observing him.

''P-please don't get disgusted by that...'', Eren let out, holding his eyes tight shut. Levi looked at him and simply pulled the boy into a tight embrace, stuffing his face into Eren's shoulder, just like Eren did when they first hugged. Eren was confused, but returned the hug anyway.

''I could never be disgusted by you.'', Levi said, still holding him in tight. Eren's heart skipped a beat; for the first time in many many years, his heart skipped a beat out of a positive reason.

He clung onto Levi even more, feeling reborn.

 

 

No more dollhouse for him. No more pretending.

 

He finally came to life.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please, do leave a comment, I want to hear your opinions!


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